Objectives for maternal-infant health are impacted by childbirth practices. This course will educate maternal-infant health workers about evidence-based maternity care practices, gain skills to support their clients in making informed choices in childbirth, and inspire workers to increase their clients’ confidence for normal birthing. Focus of this course is on giving Maternal Infant Health Workers skills for working with clients from communities where social and health disparities exist. This course uses a social justice framework to discuss the historical and social reasons for perinatal health inequities in communities of color. Our philosophy is that pregnancy is a healthy time in a woman’s life which can be enhanced by education and support by compassionate and skilled caregivers. We promote the normalcy of childbirth, the principal of doing no harm, motherbaby-centered care, the right of clients for autonomy in decision-making, and the potential of childbirth to transform lives. Our approach is integration of body/mind/spirit during pregnancy and childbirth in order to achieve the goals of client empowerment and well being.

COURSE GOAL

This course will help achieve program objectives for maternal-infant health including lowering rates of prematurity, infant mortality, maternal mortality and cesarean section among clients.

CEUs: This course has been pre-approved by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (CHES) for Category I CEUs. Certified Health Education Specialists (CHES) may receive 16 CECH units by particpating in the course. ($10.00 per person fee for this, payable at workshop). We are provider number #3608. The CHES Core Competencies this course will address are:

This session focuses on the public health perspectives on Maternal-Infant Health and how the medical management of pregnancy and childbirth has contributed to poor birth outcomes such as prematurity, maternal mortality and morbidity, high rates of cesarean section, low rates of breastfeeding. From a human rights perspective, students will explore the social and historic reasons for perinatal health inequities and disparities, and learn how to advocate for better healthcare for their disadvantaged clients of color.

Morning Session 2: Communication and Counseling Skills

This session will train participants in counseling and communication skills using The Three Step Strategy, Stages of Change Model and Motivational Interviewing.

LUNCH (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm)

Afternoon Session (1:00 pm to 5:30 pm):

Afternoon Session 1: Understanding the Birth Process

In this session, participants will learn the anatomy and physiology of labor and birth, and postpartum.

CLASS TWO: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2017

Morning Session (8:30 am to 12:00 pm):

Morning Session 1:Helping Clients Cope with Labor and Postpartum

Participants will learn how to support women through the birth process with non-pharmacological methods of pain relief such as water immersion, position changes, breathing techniques, visualization, vocalization, and comfort measures.

Participants will also learn how to identify Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADs) in their clients, and when to refer for professional psychological support.

In this session, participants will learn about the medical interventions used in labor, and their risks and benefits. Participants will be able to help clients clarify their values and preferences, educate clients on advantages and disadvantages of procedures and help clients formulate a birthing plan and communicate with their care providers.

Afternoon Session 2: Closing Circle

In the final session, participants will participate in a closing circle where they will have the opportunity to share what they have learned in the course and how they plan to apply the knowledge and skills gained when working with pregnant clients.

LEARNER OBJECTIVESBy the end of this course, case managers/home visitors will be able to:

Describe the etiology of prematurity, low birth weight, infant and maternal mortality within the context of health inequities and disparities and human rights in childbirth.

Describe the causes and consequences of premature birth, warning signs for preterm labor, and identify which clients are at higher risk for prematurity.

Describe common discomforts of pregnancy and comfort strategies.

African American Woman laboring in a birth pool supported by doula and midwife.

Describe how the body works in labor and birth.

Identify the female reproductive anatomy involved in the childbirth process.

Describe three ways labor can begin.

Describe the stages and phases of labor and birth.

Describe the Four Ps of Labor: The Power, The Passage, The Passenger and Psyche.

Describe how to time contractions and when clients should go to the hospital.

Describe normal newborn appearance and behavior

Describe the benefits of “Kangaroo Care” and discuss how to help families practice this technique.

Describe the physical and emotional needs of The Postpartum Family and the role of the home visitor.

Describe and discuss Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders.

Describe and demonstrate three ways women can cope with labor and delivery.

Describe and demonstrate three ways partners can provide support to women in labor and delivery.

Define and Discuss “Physiological Childbirth”

Discuss how to help clients cultivate trust in birth and gain confidence for labor, birth and early motherhood.

Describe the enerveration of the uterine muscles and how laboring women can break the Fear-Pain-Tension cycle to trust and open to labor and birth.

Compare and contrast three characteristics of the medical and holistic models of childbirth.

Describe the essential components of Informed Consent and Refusal in Maternity Care and describe the importance of maternal decision-making.

Describe the “Domino Effect of Medical Interventions” and its impact on birth outcomes

Demonstrate skills to help clients identify their values and needs for childbirth.

Discuss six questions clients can ask before accepting or declining medical procedures.

Describe advantages and disadvantages of three medical procedures for labor and birth on woman, labor and baby.

Students in training learning how to palpate mothers belly for baby’s position.

In addition, upon completion, agencies may license our childbirth education curriculum EMPOWERED BIRTH CHOICES, to be able to teach group classes at their agency. This 4-Week series covers the following:

Class One: Understanding Birth

Class Two: Coping with Labor

Class Three: Options for Birth

Class Four: New Mother and Baby Care

These classes will help clients make informed choices in childbirth and cultivate trust in birth. May be used for CPSP Group Classes in Medi-Cal clinics. Fore details on class content, click here.

Cordelia obtained her Masters in Public Health (MPH) in Health Education and Promotion/Maternal Child Health from Loma Linda University in Loma Linda, California and her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre and Dance from Indiana University, Bloomington. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES), the gold standard for professional health educators, accredited by NCHEC. Cordelia is also an ICEA-Certified Childbirth Educator, CAPPA-Certified Lactation Educator, and ALACE-Certified Birth Assistant who since 1991 has taught Childbirth Preparation Classes and Breastfeeding Education to hundreds of couples in private practice, clinics, public health, hospital and community settings. She has attended births as a Primary Midwife Under Supervision, Assistant Midwife and Labor Companion/Monitrice in homes, birth centers and hospitals throughout Los Angeles County. From 2002-2009, and 2011-2012, Cordelia worked for The Pasadena Public Health Department Black Infant Health Program, a California Department of Health funded program to reduce African-American perinatal health disparities. Cordelia is passionate about promoting midwives, doulas, promotras (community health promoters) and breastfeeding peer counselors to address ethnic health disparities such as low rates of breastfeeding, high rates of prematurity and cesarean section, and to reduce maternal mortality globally. Cordelia is a mother of two home-born, breastfed and attachment-parented children who are now capable, bright young adults.

Khefri is a Childbirth and Prenatal Yoga Specialist. She brings over 14 years experience as a Certified Lactation Educator Counselor, Birth and Postpartum Doula, Newborn Care and Childbirth Educator. Her foray into the world of babies and families has it’s inspiration from her paternal great-grandmother, a renowned Cherokee midwife. In addition to being a mother to 15 year old son Zen, Khefri has her Pre-Natal Yoga Certification from Golden Bridge Yoga, Certified Itsy Bitsy Yoga Facilitator, Certified Yoga Ed. Instructor, trained miniyogis teacher, and is a trained Doula with D.O.N.A (Doulas of North America). Her yoga classes have been featured in People Magazine, NBC and on Fox Ch. 11 News. Khefri has attended over 200 births and has taught thousands of mothers, fathers, and babies the joys of new motherhood and yoga. As a facilitator of parenting, yoga and arts based curriculums for kids, teens, and at-risk youth, she has touched the lives of thousands of children. In turn she has found that it is the children that keep safe human kind’s greatest values. Sharing her multi-disciplinary knowledge with others, she leads large group trainings for parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and educators. She is Founder of Urban Goddess Lifestyle in addition to being Postpartum Director and Birth Partner Doula of Los Angeles Birth Partners

CANCELLATION POLICY

Cancellation must be made in writing by deadline (TBA). Tuition will be reimbursed less $50.00 administrative fee if notification received by this date. After this date, there will be no refunds. However in extenuating circumstances such as documented illness or emergency, the tuition is fully transferable to another person or training (this course or another topic); credit is good for the amount of training. If course registering into is higher price, the additional balance will be required. If it is a lesser price, there will not be any refund of balance. Credit will be honored for one year from the training. If not used by that time, the credit will expire.

Special Cancellation Policy for Doulas: If you are “on call” and have a birth during the training, please notify instructor as soon as possible that you will not be attending. The full tuition will be transferred to another person, or different training (this course or another topic) to be used within one year of the training date.If course registering into is higher price, the additional balance will be required. If it is a lesser price, there will not be any refund of balance.